


A Few Hours of Peace

by ScribeOnTheSide



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen, Quiet Moment, Vignette, fluffy nonsense, verbal picture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 10:31:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7973599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribeOnTheSide/pseuds/ScribeOnTheSide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just a small vignette of Libra/Lexza (avatar)/Morgan in a quiet moment between battles.<br/>Libra is painting a surprise for Lexza. </p><p>It was a visual that just wouldn't leave me alone until i got it out.  Libra is just a criminally under-represented character and I love the thought of him spending his downtime in a quiet, peaceful pursuit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Few Hours of Peace

Libra leaned back on his stool and stretched, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension. He dipped the thin paintbrush in the stained tin cup filled with a murky liquid next to his canvas and wiped it carefully on a dry cloth next to the cup. Naga knew how rare a peaceful moment was these days and time to paint was precious. A wisp of breeze tossed some loose strands of white-blonde hair into his eyes. Tucking them back behind his ear, he looked up at the sky over his tent. Still a few hours before the light would go. Plenty of time to finish. 

The monk glanced across the small hollow at the other tents their small group had set up. In front of the smallest one sat a teenager patiently honing a silver axe edge. He worked methodically, intent on perfecting the edge while unconsciously humming a happy tune. Libra smiled at the sound, recognizing the song as an old hymn of the glory of Naga. Unfortunately, he knew Morgan learned a set of bawdier lyrics set to the same tune from Virion earlier that week. Libra knew which version was running through in his son’s head at that moment. 

In the open field to the right of Morgan was a rough table surrounded by a three people, pouring over a series of maps. A tall man, uncomfortable outside his heavy armor for once, was arguing with a shorter, dark haired man with a princely air about him. The third person, a woman with purple-hair, listened closely to them while shucking off her heavy duster, too hot in the afternoon sun. She glanced over to where Libra was painting, rolled her eyes, and gave him a wink. His Lexza always had a moment for him, even in the middle of a strategy meeting with Frederick and Prince Chrom, who appeared to be arguing again.

Naga had been good to him. A strong and beautiful wife along with his cheerful son who was walking the same religious path he had so many years ago but without the weight of familial betrayal weighing him down. LIbra really couldn’t ask for more. Well, maybe an end to this war so his family would be safe and stop to all this senseless fighting. But if that was the price he had to pay for the happiness he’d found, he was willing to pay it and more. He owed the gods that much.

Dipping the thin brush onto his palette, he resumed work on the painting. It needed to be done by this evening.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morgan checked the sharpness of the edge one more time. His father needed this axe to be able to cut through anything the enemy threw at him. Morgan had volunteered to sharpen it as his contribution to the more violent part of the war effort. While his ability to wield an axe was coming along, the boy knew that his ability to tend the wounded was his most useful skill. He practiced what he referred to as “proactive healing” with his axe every day they could, trying to build up his strength so he could one day match his father. Lucina, Prince Chrom’s daughter, had been helping him both in training and in battle. They made a formidable pair, with Lucina decimating the enemy ranks while Morgan let aid and support to their fighters. 

Humming away, he continued to run the whetstone across the axe, feeling content with the world. Not having many, or any memories really, of life before appearing in this world, it was easy for him to live in the moment and enjoy every little thing, like how bright the meadow flowers were this time of year or how funny the little dog that followed Panne, the Taguel woman, around was. He remembered enough to know that being here, surrounded by friends and loved ones, was better than whatever future he came from. 

Finally satisfied that the axe was worthy of his father, he left it outside his parent’s tent. Waving at Libra, Morgan went to find Lucina for some sparring practice before the light dimmed. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Could you two please stop bickering long enough to agree on the attack plan?”  
Chrom and Frederick looked guiltily over at Lexza then focused back on the map. They had been sidetracked into a loud argument over Chrom’s friendliness with the local villagers and whether he needed more security. Frederick always thought Chrom exposed himself to danger unnecessarily.

Lexza sighed and looked over at her monk, who was fretting over something on the canvas in front of him. She loved watching him paint. He focused as intently on getting the correct coloring of a flower as he did on perfecting an axe stroke or learning an epic length prayer to Naga. His eyes were narrowed and brows drawn as he gently scraped some paint off to create some marvelous effect. 

Libra was stripped down to the waist, the afternoon sun dancing over the shoulders that hours of axe wielding had created. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth that she quickly suppressed. Somedays, Lexza *really* loved to watch him paint.

Her smile turned to a frown as he absentmindedly rubbed along the scars on his neck, wincing a little at the touch. His scars always hurt worse after battle. He wielded his silver axe with grace and beauty but woe to an enemy that did not see how effective it was. But there was little downtime lately to recover and her warrior monk was obviously feeling its effects. Lexza chided herself for not seeing it sooner. She’d ask Morgan for some moonflower extract later today to help. The extract plus a good hard shoulder massage should help with the aches. 

A hand on her shoulder startled her. It was Chrom, with a slight smirk on his face as he followed her gaze.  
“It’s a beautiful afternoon filled with...interesting...attractions. Why don’t we call it a day and take a rest? I think we all can use it. The need for a strategy to defeat Walhart will still be there in the morning.”

Lexza laughed at the obvious implication but agreed. A non-rushed dinner with her family would be a treat. Ever since the revelation of her parentage, she’d clung to the rare moments of togetherness tightly. They might be the last moments of normality she’d see, depending on how much her father told her was true and how the next series of battles went. 

Pushing the threatening dark thoughts back, she walked towards Libra, noticing he was completely absorbed in his work. The monk always discounted his art but Lexza recognized how good he was. Libra came across as reserved or shy but he observed everything and it was the tiny details that brought his paintings to life. Watching him work was when she first realized her feelings for him. A slight smile appeared when she remembered how flabbergasted he was that she kept the painting he made her carefully tucked away and safe, even through battle after battle. The destruction of that picture still made her a little sad. 

After that small bonding moment, they discovered their fighting styles meshed well and began to work together to defeat Grima’s armies. That journey eventually lead to this quiet moment. She stopped a few yards away, happy to be at this place at this moment with this person. Lexza paused for a few minutes to commit every detail to memory. Just in case...

Finally, she stepped forward as softly as she could. Libra turned his head slightly, smiling broadly.  
“You can’t really sneak up in those pieces of plate mail, dear one.”

Lexza laughed and slid her arms around his neck, leaning onto his back as he turned back to his work.  
“Even without the plate, you’d still hear me, my love. Oh!...”

Lexza’s mouth dropped open as she looked at the canvas Libra was working on. He dipped his brush in the black paint and added an “L” to the bottom corner of the painting.  
“There… now it’s done.” He deposited the paintbrush into the cup and swung Lexza around to sit in his lap.  
“It’s for you. Kind of an anniversary present. Do you like it?”

There on the canvas were three figures, set against a hill of tiny purple lavender. It was Libra, Morgan, and Lexza, not dressed in their battle hardened armor and gear but in simple, white outfits. The sun shone brightly down on the figures on the hill and in the background was a small farm and a few animals grazing next to the house. The entire scene was one of peace and serenity. All three were smiling and looking at one another. Instead of axes, spell books, or staffs, their hands were empty, or holding bunches of the fragrant plant that looked so real Lexza could almost smell it.

Lexza felt the corners of her eyes prickle. She blinked to hold back the tears that threatened. Even with his past, her past, and the very present war, this lovely man still pictured a happy future and a family. It was the most beautiful gift she’d ever received.

“Libra! It’s magnificent. But wait… you said anniversary? It isn’t our anniversary for another few months.”

“Ah, but you’re incorrect there. Today is the day I finally caught up with your troops and joined this war. It’s the anniversary of the first time I met you, my dearest one.”

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. Then, twisting around to face him, Lexza threw her arms around him and kissed her husband. He chuckled and kissed her back. Neither noticed Morgan returning from a fruitless search for his sparring partner. He grinned and began to back away.  
“Ummmm….I’ll just come back later.”

Lexza laughed, still looking at Libra’s smiling face.  
“Don’t be late for dinner!”  
She smirked as she traced the outline of his jaw, feeling the scratchy beginnings of a 5 o’clock shadow.  
“Now… where were we?”


End file.
